Count me as one who also dislikes TotSC. I was just comparing it over in the IWD forum to IWD/HoW/TotL. I only do parts of Durlag's Tower, Ice Island, and Werewolf Island, none of which I enjoy very much, when I want to start BG2 with an xp bonus.
It all just winds up being a big distraction from the urgency and forward motion of the main plot. If BG1 were a movie, most of that TotSC material would deserve winding up on the cutting room floor - it creates bad pacing for the story, tending to kill the interest of the audience.
I dunno. I think TotSC is pretty much the perfect expansion: fun, optional, challenging, interesting, and well made.
I've never felt the urgency of plot in either BG1 or BG2. Though in BG2, I do tend to rush to Imoen ASAP, but after that I dither and do as much as I can before moving on.
I'm usually done with the TotSC content (and just about everything else for that matter) by the time I go back to Candlekeep. I rush Candlekeep-Undercellar-Undercity at the very end of a run so to start on BG2.
If BG1 were a movie, most of that TotSC material would deserve winding up on the cutting room floor - it creates bad pacing for the story, tending to kill the interest of the audience.
That's true, in movie terms. Movies are (usually) edited down for watching in a single sitting, so there's (usually) no time for extensive exposition, back-story, side-plots, etc. However, the dynamics of audience engagement in an interactive game are very different from watching a movie.
If we must find a non-interactive analogy at all (and I'm not convinced that it's very applicable to do so), then it's more like a long-running TV serial, where there are hundreds of hours of viewing time over the years, split into many convenient-sized episodes (somewhat like playing a game in many sessions). The plot meanders all over the place (sometimes it's not clear that it even has a main plot!), there are many sub-plots and side-plots centering around various characters, and still the loyal fans want the script-writers to keep on inventing new material to keep the story going on and on for years. So long as the viewers stay with it, it remains commercially viable for the company to keep on adding episodes. Rather than discarding material on the cutting-room floor, the producers are more likely to be sweeping up every scrap to see if they can fill out an episode!
Durlag's Tower is the best dungeon in the series, for reasons already mentioned. I'm sure Watcher's Keep is the meta-gamer's favorite dungeon, but Durlag's Tower is the role-player's favorite dungeon.*
*I mean most meta-gamers and most role-players. Please don't over-analyze.
I prefer the island to the tower... I can only dungeon crawl so much before getting bored. I prefer to explore, meeting new people and hearing their story And the island gave me that. I didn't like how it ended though, I was more then willing to help them before they... Well I guess I'll avoid the spoiler.
I did like durlag's tower, don't get me wrong, some good fights, but I did both lose to end game so I needed neither the items or XP, and I was was playing sorcerer so I didn't need the spells. It did have a nice story.
Rephrasing, they don't really possess anything that would make me replay them unless I go to see if anything happens differently class wise. Like if I run around the island as a werewolf using the shapeshifter kit, or just play a mage and take durlag's tower..
Ulcaster school was a big disappointment for me. As a spellcaster in no matter what game I play, I was expecting to see a lot of spells, and wizard stories nope!
I always loved the werewolf island, it was my favorite part of TotSC by far. It just struck of chord with me, I really enjoyed the storyline, the new area and the history behind...
[Spoiler]Balduran's final voyage[/spoiler]
And did I mention Wanev is awesome! "Back doggies! Bad doggies! Shoo, Shoo!"
I agree that the Karoug fight can be brutally tough, especially if it is your first encountering him. However once you have played through the game a couple of times and know what to expect, and what to prepare for he shouldn't be that big a deal for those playing with a balanced party.
The thing I don't like about werewolf island is it's lack of rewards I also dont like the ice caverns, because the quest is often forced on an unsuspecting party
I greatly prefer Balduran's isle over Durlag's, if only because the latter feels slow and tedious. And Karoug is much more fun to fight than Aec *cough* kite stupid slow demon for days with superbuffed fighters cutting down hilariously high hit point meatbags and reload whenever death gazed *cough*
I don't like it much overall. Werewolf Island was small and underwhelming. You make a long boat trip for a tiny quest that can be completed in less than an hour. Durlag's Tower is more interesting but gets long and tedious. They should have distributed the effort more evenly between the two quests.
Both Balduran's island and Durlag's Tower have great atmosphere, but I still prefer the latter for its better rewards. Thankfully, I never had to tackle Karoug before EE, and therefore knew what I was getting into well in advance. Actually, on my last swing through that part of the game, my thief-heavy party took him down by planting a whole bunch of traps on the first floor of the ship, going back and forth between the upper levels to take out the minions, and then luring Karoug down to the first floor to die. Good times, good times.
I think the Werewolf Island was very atmospheric and mysterious the first time, a what-the-heck-is-going-on type of feeling, but after that, it wasn't so cool anymore. Durlag's Tower has been a positively staple experience no matter how many times I've done it.
Both Balduran's island and Durlag's Tower have great atmosphere, but I still prefer the latter for its better rewards. Thankfully, I never had to tackle Karoug before EE, and therefore knew what I was getting into well in advance. Actually, on my last swing through that part of the game, my thief-heavy party took him down by planting a whole bunch of traps on the first floor of the ship, going back and forth between the upper levels to take out the minions, and then luring Karoug down to the first floor to die. Good times, good times.
Karoug makes for some interesting tactics if you don't have silver/cold iron weapons. I once lured him in a very tight corner and angled a Lightning Bolt that bounced back and forth 12+ times. He died almost instantly.
I just sailed through Durlag's Tower in one brutally efficient sitting and I feel great The TotSC stuff doesn't fit in all that well with the rest of the game but in a way I find the storytelling and challenges to be more compelling than the original content.
I actually love the werewolf island. There's a nice sense of despair in the air and you can woo an werewolf too. I'm not fond of the ice caves because its corridors and it's rather bland story. I love the lore of durlags tower and it's final fight, but for the love of god I hate hate hate hate hate hate the tedious boring puzzles. It just gets worse and worse every playthrough, but the loot. The glorious loot.
I like to go to werewolf island after Candlekeep, to keep a low profile for a while after what happened to the Iron Throne leaders, then coming back to find Sarevok entrenched in BG.
Comments
It all just winds up being a big distraction from the urgency and forward motion of the main plot. If BG1 were a movie, most of that TotSC material would deserve winding up on the cutting room floor - it creates bad pacing for the story, tending to kill the interest of the audience.
I've never felt the urgency of plot in either BG1 or BG2. Though in BG2, I do tend to rush to Imoen ASAP, but after that I dither and do as much as I can before moving on.
I'm usually done with the TotSC content (and just about everything else for that matter) by the time I go back to Candlekeep. I rush Candlekeep-Undercellar-Undercity at the very end of a run so to start on BG2.
If we must find a non-interactive analogy at all (and I'm not convinced that it's very applicable to do so), then it's more like a long-running TV serial, where there are hundreds of hours of viewing time over the years, split into many convenient-sized episodes (somewhat like playing a game in many sessions). The plot meanders all over the place (sometimes it's not clear that it even has a main plot!), there are many sub-plots and side-plots centering around various characters, and still the loyal fans want the script-writers to keep on inventing new material to keep the story going on and on for years. So long as the viewers stay with it, it remains commercially viable for the company to keep on adding episodes. Rather than discarding material on the cutting-room floor, the producers are more likely to be sweeping up every scrap to see if they can fill out an episode!
*I mean most meta-gamers and most role-players. Please don't over-analyze.
I did like durlag's tower, don't get me wrong, some good fights, but I did both lose to end game so I needed neither the items or XP, and I was was playing sorcerer so I didn't need the spells. It did have a nice story.
Rephrasing, they don't really possess anything that would make me replay them unless I go to see if anything happens differently class wise. Like if I run around the island as a werewolf using the shapeshifter kit, or just play a mage and take durlag's tower..
Ulcaster school was a big disappointment for me. As a spellcaster in no matter what game I play, I was expecting to see a lot of spells, and wizard stories nope!
[Spoiler]Balduran's final voyage[/spoiler]
And did I mention Wanev is awesome! "Back doggies! Bad doggies! Shoo, Shoo!"
I agree that the Karoug fight can be brutally tough, especially if it is your first encountering him. However once you have played through the game a couple of times and know what to expect, and what to prepare for he shouldn't be that big a deal for those playing with a balanced party.
I also dont like the ice caverns, because the quest is often forced on an unsuspecting party
Durlags tower is pretty great though
*cough* kite stupid slow demon for days with superbuffed fighters cutting down hilariously high hit point meatbags and reload whenever death gazed *cough*
Now that would have made the trip worth it!